Homepage | Becoming a Trappist Monk or Nun Becoming a Trappist Monk or Nun Homepage One Order, Seventeen Monasteries of Monks and Nuns We are the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, also known as "Trappists" or "Trappistines". We encourage you to explore our lives by exploring these pages, especially our "Newcomer's Guide." If you are interested in becoming a Cistercian monk or nun, your will find helpful information here: Steps to Becoming a Monk or Nun and links to all of our monasteries. Please enjoy exploring this site! Learn more about us → Daily Reflection: January 19, 2017 A brother said to Pambo: “Say something to the Archbishop so that he may be edified. Pambo replied: “If he is not edified by my silence, he will not be edified by my speech.” Which is better for the other to speak or to say nothing?

Monastic Wisdom Abba Poemen Said If a monk overcomes two things, he can be free from this world." And a brother asked: "What are they?" He replied: "Bodily ease and vainglory." The Newcomer's Guide to the Trappists An Excellent Introduction to the Trappists for Young People! Get the basics concerning a beautiful and distinctive sixteen hundred year old monastic tradition still lived by monks and nuns in the U.S. Today. News What sign can this be? What sort of sign were the shepherds given? You will find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. . . .What kind of sign, then, can this be? Indeed it is a great one, if only we understand it rightly. Such understanding will be ours if this message of love is not restricted to our hearing, but if our hearts too are illuminated by the light which accompanied the appearance of the angels. The angel who first pro­claimed the good tidings appeared surrounded by light to teach us that only those whose minds are spiritually enlightened can truly under­stand the message. Much can be said of this sign; but as time is passing, I shall say little, and briefly.

Bethlehem, the house of bread, is holy Church, in which is distributed the body of Christ, the true bread. The manger at Bethlehem is the altar of the church; it is there that Christ's creatures are fed. This is the table of which it is written, You have prepared a banquet for me. In this manger is Jesus, wrapped in the swaddling clothes which are the outward form of the sacraments. Here in this manger, under the species of bread and wine, is the true body and blood of Christ. We believe that Christ himself is here, but he is wrapped in swaddling clothes; in other words, he is invisibly contained in these sacraments. We have no greater or clearer proof of Christ's birth than our daily reception of his body and blood at the holy altar, and the sight of him who was once born for us of a virgin daily offered in sacrifice for us. Christmas Discourse, Aelred of Rievaulx Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance: OCSO Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance Sujong O.C.S.O.

The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (also known as “Trappists”) is a Roman Catholic contemplative religious order, consisting of monasteries of monks and monasteries of nuns. We are part of the larger Cistercian family which traces its origin to 1098. As Cistercians we follow the Rule of St Benedict, and so are part of the Benedictine family as well. Our lives are dedicated to seeking union with God, through Jesus Christ, in a community of sisters or brothers. News Information January 2, 2017 2:39 pm The Information Bulletin n°186 that records the News which appeared between the month of July... Novo Mundo December 31, 2016 8:08 am On December 30, 2016, Brother Mateus Gomes Fogaça made solemn profession at the monastery of... Los Andes December 30, 2016 11:16 am An armed robbery at the monastery of Los Andes The Brothers of the Trappist community...

2017 Elenchus Trappist | religious order | Britannica.com religious order Alternative Titles: O.C.S.O., Order of the Reformed Cistercians of the Strict Observance Related Topics Jesuit Trappist, member of Order of the Reformed Cistercians of the Strict Observance (O.C.S.O.), a branch of the Roman Catholic Cistercians , founded by the converted courtier Armand de Rancé (1626–1700), who had governed the Cistercian abbey of La Trappe in France , which he transformed (1662) into a community practicing extreme austerity of diet, penitential exercises, and absolute silence. He became its regular abbot in 1664 and, for more than 30 years, kept the abbey under his forceful sway. Trappist monks in the Procession of the Holy Blood, Brugge, Belg.

Carolus In 1792 the monks were ejected from La Trappe, and a number of them, led by Dom Augustine de Lestrange, settled at Val-Sainte in Fribourg, Switz., where they adopted an even more rigid life and made several foundations before their expulsion in 1798. Long years of wandering in Russia and Germany were followed in 1814 by a return to La Trappe; they were the first religious order to revive after the French Revolution and, at the death of Lestrange in 1827, numbered 700. Their increase has never ceased, and by the late 20th century there were abbeys worldwide, including several in England , Scotland , Canada , the United States , Australia , and South Africa . The three existing congregations of Trappists were united by Pope Leo XIII as the independent Reformed Cistercians of the Strict Observance; they follow the primitive custom of Cîteaux with an emphasis on silence and austerity but without the rigid regulations of the early Trappists. After World War II their growth was particularly notable in France and the United States.

Learn More in these related articles: The Trappist Order The Trappist Order Show more photos The Trappist Order The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as the Trappist order, is a Roman Catholic contemplative religious order, and forms part of the larger Cistercian family. The name “Trappist” comes from the French La Trappe abbey. This was the first monastic community to adopt a strict and rigorous interpretation of the monastic rules of the Cistercian order and became the model for the spiritual reformation of other ‘Trappist’ abbeys. According to the Rule of Saint Benedict, monastic life is summarised by the motto “ora et labora” (pray and work). Prayer is therefore the central element of the monks’ lives. However, alongside prayer, the monks and nuns also dedicate a large part of their time to manual labour. Such labour is executed as a form of solidarity and service and therefore it is seen as if it were a silent prayer. The Trappists produce a wide range of goods, for example beer, cheese, soap and honey.

The income from sales of these products provides for the material needs of the monastery and for its social work in the community. The International Trappist Association The International Trappist Association ( ) is a non-profit organisation, composed of 20 Trappist monasteries, which promotes the value of economic activities within the monasteries. According to the International Trappist Association, Trappist produce needs to respect certain key criteria in order to achieve and maintain the label of “Authentic Trappist product”: There is a strong link between the crafting process and the abbey: the goods must be produced inside the abbey and under the supervision of the monks. Since the work is part of monastic life, it must respect its values. As such, product marketing must be in accordance with the sobriety proper to a Cistercian lifestyle. The additional profit derived from sales is used for the subsistence of the Trappist community and for social work. History As head of the Cistercian order, the abbot of Cîteaux’s power began to wane during the 16th century, triggering significant local initiatives of religious reform.

In 1601, the Cistercian abbots decided to establish a common basis of interpretation of the order’s rules. However, some abbots decided to engage in more radical reforms. They particularly stressed the need for close adherence to the order’s fundamental strictures, restoring the obligations of eight hours of work per day, complete silence, daily spiritual readings and private prayer for each monk, the solitude of seclusion, complete poverty and the use of penitential practices. In 1664 the abbot of La Trappe, Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé, adopted these reforms. His embracement of these reforms could be considered to be the foundation of the Trappist order. Indeed, de Rancé was central to the revitalisation of the project of reform of the Strict Observance, and between 1664 and 1670 the number of monks at La Trappe rapidly increased. Furthermore, during this period, several Cistercian abbeys in France and Northern Europe joined and took on the La Trappe reforms. De Rancé promoted a stricter observance of the monastic rules than that of the Strict Observance.

According to de Rancé, the basic concept of monastic spirituality was “love”, which was seen as the foundation of the monk’s entire religious experience. This included the monk’s relations with God, with his superiors, with co-friars and with other monks. De Rancé also stressed the importance of prayer in a monk’s life and defined the main features of Trappist spirituality as: the assumption of love as the measure of a monk’s life, the importance of spiritual education as well as of daily work, the observance of rules concerning food and penitence, and the communitarian dimension of the monastic life. With the progression of the French Revolution the Trappists, together with other monastic orders, experienced a turbulent period of persecution and hardship. With respect to the Cistercians, the restoration of the order of Cîteaux was led by the Trappists. During the decades of the French Revolution and of the Napoleonic Wars, Dom Augustin de Lestrange (1754-1827) had attempted to preserve the spiritual experience of Trappist monks.

Elected abbot of La Trappe, de Lestrange became the point of reference for the reconstruction of the order in the first half of the 19th century. During this period, de Lestrange played a crucial role in the revival and spread of the Trappists. Following the fall of the Napoleonic Empire, several of the abbeys founded or re-founded at this time followed the Réglements (‘rules’) which he wrote. 1070 Peek Inside the Trappist Monks' Ascetic Life By Jack Zavada Updated January 11, 2016. Trappist monks and nuns fascinate many Christians because of their isolated and ascetic lifestyle, and at first glance seem a carryover from medieval times. The Cistercian order, parent group of the Trappists, was founded in 1098 in France, but life inside the monasteries has changed much over the centuries. The most obvious development was a split in the 16th century into two branches: the Cistercian Order, or common observance, and the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, or Trappists.

Trappists take their name from the Abbey of La Trappe, about 85 miles from Paris, France. The order includes both monks and nuns, who are called Trappistines. Today more than 2,100 monks and about 1,800 nuns live at 170 Trappist monasteries scattered throughout the world. Quiet But Not Silent Trappists closely follow the Rule of Benedict , a set of instructions laid down in the sixth century to govern monasteries and individual behavior. It's widely believed these monks and nuns take a vow of silence, but that has never been the case. While talking is strongly discouraged in monasteries, it is not forbidden. In some areas, such as the church or hallways, conversation may be prohibited, but in other spaces, monks or nuns may converse with each other or family members who visit. Centuries ago, when quiet was more strictly enforced, the monks came up with a simple sign language to express common words or questions. Monks' sign language is rarely used in monasteries today. The three vows in the Rule of Benedict cover obedience, poverty, and chastity.

Since the monks or nuns live in community, no one actually owns anything, except their shoes, eyeglasses, and personal toiletry items. Supplies are kept in common. Food is simple, consisting of grains, beans, and vegetables, with occasional fish, but no meat. Daily Life for Trappist Monks and Nuns Trappist monks and nuns live a routine of prayer and silent contemplation . They rise very early, gather every day for mass , and meet six or seven times a day for organized prayer. Although these religious men and women may worship, eat, and work together, each has their own cell, or small individual room. Cells are very simple, with a bed, small table or writing desk, and perhaps a kneeling bench for prayer. In many abbeys, air conditioning is restricted to the infirmary and visitors' rooms, but the entire structure has heat, to maintain good health. Benedict's Rule demands that each monastery be self-supporting, so Trappist monks have become inventive in making products popular with the public. Trappist beer is regarded by connoisseurs as one of the best beers in the world.

Brewed by monks in seven Trappist abbeys in Belgium and the Netherlands, it ages in the bottle unlike other beers, and becomes better with time. Trappist monasteries also sell such things as cheese , eggs, mushrooms, fudge, chocolate truffles, fruitcakes, cookies, fruit preserves, and caskets. Isolated for Prayer Benedict taught that monks and cloistered nuns could do much good praying for others. Heavy emphasis is put on discovering one's true self and on experiencing God through centering prayer. While Protestants may see monastic life as unbiblical and violating the Great Commission , Catholic Trappists say the world is sorely in need of prayer and repentance . Many monasteries take prayer requests and habitually pray for the church and God's people. Two Trappist monks made the order famous in the 20th century: Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating . Merton (1915-1968), a monk at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, wrote an autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, which sold over one million copies. Royalties from his 70 books help finance Trappists today.

Merton was a supporter of the civil rights movement and opened a dialogue with Buddhists on shared ideas in contemplation. However, today's abbot at Gethsemani is quick to point out that Merton's celebrity was hardly typical of Trappist monks. Keating, now 89, a monk in Snowmass, Colorado, is one of the founders of the centering prayer movement and the organization Contemplative Outreach, which teaches and fosters contemplative prayer. His book, Open Mind, Open Heart, is a modern manual on this ancient form of meditative prayer. (Sources: cistercian.org , osco.org , newadvent.org , mertoninstitute.org, and contemplativeoutreach.org .) Jack Zavada, a career writer and contributor for About.com, is host to a Christian website for singles. Never married, Jack feels that the hard-won lessons he has learned may help other Christian singles make sense of their lives. His articles and ebooks offer great hope and encouragement. To contact him or for more information, visit Jack's Bio Page .

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Trappists Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > T > Trappists Trappists Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download . Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99... The common name by which the Cistercians who follow the reform inaugurated by the Abbot de Rancé (b. 1626; d. 1700) in the Abbey of La Trappe, were known; and often now applied to the entire Order of Reformed Cistercians . Thus it cannot be said that there is an Order of Trappists; though if one were to speak of Trappist monks , he would be understood to refer to monks of the Order of Reformed Cistercians , as distinguished from the Order of Cistercians of the common Observance (see Cistercians and La Trappe).

The primitive austerities of the Cistercians had fallen into desuetude in practically the entire order principally through the introduction of commendatory abbots , political disturbances, and human inconstancy; and though many and very praiseworthy attempts at their restoration had been made in France , Spain , Germany , Italy , Portugal , etc., yet these were but local or at most national in extent. That of de Rancé, however, was destined by Divine Providence to be more enduring and of wider scope than any other. Although the Abbey of La Trappe flourished exceedingly, even after the death of its venerated reformer, as evidenced by more than 300 professions between the years 1714 and 1790, yet the spirit of materialism and sensualism rampant in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, did not permit the rapid extension of the reform outside its walls; it did not even allow the entire severity of ancient Cîteaux to be introduced at La Trappe , though this reform was the most thorough and perfect of the many attempts that had then been made.

Consequently it founded but a small number of monasteries ; these were: Buon-Solazzo, near Florence (1705), and St. Vito at Rome (1709); Casamari, in the Papal States , was obliged to adopt the Constitutions of de Rancé (1717), but for nearly a century there was no further expansion. It was from the time of these earliest foundations that they who embraced de Rancés reform were called Trappists. Too much credit cannot be given to these noble bands of monks , who by their lives demonstrated to a corrupt world that man could have a higher ambition than the gratification of the mere natural instincts of this ephemeral life. At the time of the Revolution , when the monastery of La Trappe , in common with all others, was ordered to be confiscated by the Government, the people of the neighbourhood petitioned that an exception be made in their favour, and the Trappists themselves, encouraged by this, addressed a memorial to the National Assembly and the king considered the matter for nearly a year, but finally decided that they should be despoiled like the others. Dom Augustine de Lestrange (b. 1754; d.

1827, see Lestrange), vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Vienna , had entered La Trappe (1780) in order to escape the burden of the episcopate. He it was whom God had raised up to preserve the Trappists when so direly threatened with extinction; he resolved, therefore, to expatriate himself for the welfare of his order. Having been elected superior of those who were of the same mind, and with the permission of his higher superiors, he left La Trappe 26 April, 1791, with twenty-four religious, and established a monastery at Val-Sainte, Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland . Here they had much to suffer besides the rigour of their rule, for their monastery (which had formerly belonged to the Carthusians ) was an unroofed ruin; they were in want of the very necessities of life, not even having the meagre requirements they were accustomed to. In France the Revolution was taking its course.

On 3 June, 1792, the commissioners of the Government arrived at La Trappe , took the sacred vessels and vestments, as well as everything moveable, and obliged the eighty-nine religious yet remaining to abandon their abbey and find a home as best they could; some in other monasteries , and others in charitable families of the neighbourhood. At Val-Sainte, whilst celebrating the feast of St. Stephen, the religious resolved to put into practice the exact and literal observance of the Rule of St. Benedict , and three days afterwards, 19 July, they began the new reform; establishing the order of exercises prescribed by the holy patriarch, as well as all the primitive fasts , together with the first usages of Cîteaux ; even making their rule still more severe in many points. They entered upon their new mode of life with a fervour that exceeded discretion and had soon to be moderated.

Even in their exile many subjects were attracted to them, so that they were enabled to send religious to found several new monasteries : one in Spain (1793), a second in England at Lulworth the same year, a third at Westmalle, Belgium (1794), and a fourth at Mont-Brac, in Piedmont (1794). On 31 July, 1794, Pius VI encouraged these religious by a special Brief , and authorized the erection of Val-Sainte into an abbey and mother-house of the congregation of Trappists. Dom Augustine was elected abbot , 27 Nov. of this year, and given supreme authority over the abbey and congregation. This state of quiet and prosperity lasted but six years. When the French invaded Switzerland (1798) they compelled the Trappists to find a refuge elsewhere; thus they were obliged to roam from country to country, even Russia and America being visited by the indomitable abbot and some of his companions, with the hope of finding a permanent home, until after almost incredible sufferings the fall of Napoleon permitted them to return to France .

The monasteries of La Trappe and Aiguebelle came into the possession of Dom Augustine, who divided the community of Val-Sainte between them. Other monasteries were re-established from time to time, as the number of religious increased and as they were able to purchase the buildings. From 1813 N.-D. de l'Eternite, near Darfeld, Westphalia (founded 16 Oct., 1795, from the Abbey of Val-Sainte), which had been exempted some years previous from the authority of Dom Augustine, followed the Regulations of de Rancé, which differed from those of Dom Augustine principally in the hour for dinner, and the length of time devoted to manual labour; their order of exercises was naturally followed by the houses founded by them, thus instituting a new observance and the nucleus of a congregation. In 1834 the Holy See erected all the monasteries of France into the "Congregation of the Cistercian Monks of Notre-Dame de la Trappe".

The Abbot of La Trappe was by right the vicar-general of the congregation as soon as his election was confirmed by the president-general of the Order of Cîteaux . They were to hold a general chapter each year; were to follow the Rule of St. Benedict and the Constitutions of de Rancé, except for a few points, and retain the liturgical books of the Cistercian Order . Divergences of opinion on several matters concerning regular observance induced the abbots of the various monasteries to believe that this union could not be productive of that peace so much desired, and so at their solicitation the Holy See issued a new Decree , deciding that "All the monasteries of Trappists in France shall form two congregations, of which the former will be termed 'the Ancient Reform of Our Lady of La Trappe', and the second the 'New Reform of Our Lady of La Trappe'. Each shall be a congregation of the Cistercian Monks.

The Ancient Reform is to follow the Constitutions of de Rancé, whilst the New Reform is not to follow the Constitutions of the Abbot de Lestrange, which it abandoned in 1834, but the Rule of St. Benedict , with the ancient Constitution of Cîteaux , as approved by the Holy See excepting the prescriptions contained in this Decree . The Moderator General of the Cistercian Order shall be at the head of both congregations and will confirm the election of all abbots . In France each congregation shall have its vicar-general with full authority for its administration" (Apostolic Decree , 25 Feb., 1847). After this the congregations began to flourish. The Ancient Reform made fourteen foundations, some of them in China and Natal; the New Reform was even more fruitful, establishing twenty monasteries as far as the United States , Canada , Syria , etc. The Belgian congregation of Westmalle also prospered, forming five new filiations.

As the combined strength of the three congregations thus became greater than the Old Cistercian Order , the earnest desire soon developed amongst all to establish a permanent bond of union between them, with one head and a uniform observance; this was effected in 1892. Dom Sebastian Wyart (b. 1839; d. 1904), Abbot of Sept-Fons and Vicar-General of the Ancient Reform, was elected first abbot-general. After twelve years of zealous labour, the most worthy monument of which was the purchase of the cradle of the Order, Cîteaux , and making it again the mother-house, he passed to his reward, and was succeeded as abbot-general by Mgr Augustin Marre, then Abbot of Igny (a monastery which he had governed since 1881), titular Bishop of Constance and auxiliary to Cardinal Langénieux of Reims ; he is still ruling the order (1911), with the greatest zeal and prudence .

The name under which the order was reorganized is "Order of Reformed Cistercians " and while its members no longer bear the name of "Trappists", yet they are heirs to the old traditions, and even the name will continue to be connected with them in the popular mind. The present Constitutions (approved 13 Aug. 1894) under which the order is governed and upon which all the usages and regulations are based, is derived from the Rule of St. Benedict , the "Charta Charitatis" and ancient usages and definitions of the general chapters of Cîteaux , and the Apostolic Letters and Constitutions. It is divided into three parts. The first part regards the government of the order; the supreme power residing in the general chapter, which is composed of all the abbots (actually in office), titular priors and superiors of houses, and meets each year under the presidency of the abbot-general, who is elected by themselves for life.

During the time the general chapter is not in session the order is directed, in urgent cases, by the abbot-general with the assistance of a council composed of five definitors, also elected by the general chapter, but for a term of five years. The abbot-general is titular Abbot of Cîteaux , and must reside at Rome . The order is not divided into provinces, nor is there an officer similar to a provincial. Each monastery is autonomous and maintains its own novitiate ; its abbot or titular prior appointing all local subordinate superiors, and having full administration in both spiritual and temporal affairs. Nevertheless each monastery has the duty of visiting all the houses it has founded, either once each year, or once every two years, according to distance, and then rendering a report of its material and spiritual well-being to the next subsequent general-chapter. The abbot of such a monastery is called the father-immediate, and the houses thus subject are termed "daughter-houses" or filiations. It is especially prescribed that all houses be dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The second part is concerned with monastic observances; which must be uniform in all the monasteries of the order.

The Divine Office must be sung or recited in choir according to the directions of the Breviary , Missal , Ritual and Martyrology, no matter how few may be the number of religious in a particular house; the canonical Office is always preceded (except at Compline , when it is followed) by the Office of the Blessed Virgin; and on all ferial days throughout the year Vespers and Lauds are followed by the Office of the Dead . Mass and the day Offices are always sung with the Gregorian Chant ; Matins and Lauds also are sung on Sundays and the more solemn feasts. Mental prayer , one half-hour in the morning, and fifteen minutes in the evening, is of obligation , but of counsel much more frequently. Confession must be made once each week, and daily Holy Communion is strongly commended. Out of the time of Divine Office , before which nothing is to be preferred, and when not engaged in manual labour, the monks devote themselves to prayer , study, or pious reading, for there is never any time granted for recreation; these exercises always take place in common, never in private rooms. The hour for rising is at 2 a.m.

on weekdays, 1:30 on Sundays , and 1 on the more solemn feasts; whilst the hour for retiring is at 7 p.m. in winter, and 8 in summer; in this latter season there is a siesta given after dinner, so that the religious have seven hours' sleeping the course of the day; about seven hours also are devoted to the Divine Office and Mass, one hour to meals, four hours to study and private prayers and five hours to manual labour; in winter there are only about four hours devoted to manual labour, the extra hour thus deducted being given to study. The monks are obliged to live by the labour of their hands, so the task appointed for manual labour is seriously undertaken, and is of such a nature as to render them self-supporting; such as cultivation of the land, cattle-raising, etc. Dinner is partaken of at 11 a.m. in summer, at 11:30 in winter, and at 12 on fast days, with supper or collation in the evening. Food consists of bread, vegetables, and fruits; milk and cheese may also be given except in Advent , Lent , and all Fridays out of Paschal time .

flesh-meat, fish, and eggs are forbidden at all times, except to the sick. All sleep in a common dormitory, the beds being divided from each other only by a partition and curtain, the bed to consist of mattress and pillow stuffed with straw, and sufficient covering. The monks are obliged to sleep in their regular clothing; which consists of ordinary underwear, a habit of white, and a scapular of black wool, with a leathern cincture ; the cowl, of the same material as the habit, is worn over all. Enclosure, according to canon law, is perpetual in all houses. It is never allowed for the religious to speak amongst themselves, though the one in charge of a work or employment may give necessary directions; and all have the right of conversing with the superiors at any time except during the night hours, called the "great silence". Studies Before ordination to the priesthood (and all choir religious are destined for that) the monk must pass a satisfactory examination before the abbot , in the curriculum prescribed by the order and the Decrees of the Holy See ; and afterwards all are obliged to participate in conferences on theology and Sacred Scriptures at least once each month.

Students preparing for ordination are granted extra time, during the hours of work, for the prosecution of their studies. The third part deals with the reception of subjects. The greatest care is insisted on to see that the postulants are of good character, honest birth, and without encumbrances of any kind; also that they have pursued the course of studies prescribed by the Holy See ; they must have attained at least their fifteenth year. The novitiate is of two years' duration, during which time the novice is formed to the religious life , but he can leave, or the superior may send him away, if he is unable or unwilling to conform to the spirit of his vocation. The time of probation completed, the subject is voted for, and if accepted, makes simple, but perpetual vows ; these are followed by solemn vows at the end of three, or in special cases, five years. Besides choir religious there are lay brothers . These must be at least seventeen years of age when received; they are then postulants for two years, novices for two more, after which they may be admitted to simple, though perpetual vows , then after six years more they may make solemn vows .

They do not recite the Divine Office , but have special prayers appointed to be said at the same hours throughout the day. They are not obliged to follow special studies, but are engaged in manual labour for a somewhat longer time than the choir religious; their habit is nearly the same as that of those in the choir, but brown in colour. They are religious in the full sense of the word, and participate in all the graces and privileges of the order, except that they have neither active nor passive voice in the management of the affairs of the order. It may be well to deny a few customs that have been attributed, by ignorance , to the order. The monks do not salute one another by the "memento mori", nor do they dig a part of their grave each day; in meeting each other they salute by an inclination of the head, and graves are dug only after a brother is ready to be placed in it. (For statistics see Cistercians .) Monastic Orders of Monks and Nuns in Major Religions By Jack Zavada Updated January 11, 2016. Monastic orders are groups of men or women who dedicate themselves to God and live in an isolated community or alone.

Typically, monks and cloistered nuns practice an ascetic lifestyle, wearing plain clothing or robes, eating simple food, praying and meditating several times a day, and taking vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience. Monks are divided into two types, eremitic, who are solitary hermits, and cenobitic, who live together in community. In third and fourth century Egypt, hermits were of two types: anchorites, who went into the desert and stayed in one place, and hermits who remained solitary but roamed about. Hermits would gather together for prayer, which eventually led to the founding of monasteries, places where a group of monks would live together. One of the first rules, or set of instructions for monks, was written by Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430), a bishop of the early church in North Africa. Other rules followed, written by Basil of Caesurea (330-379), Benedict of Nursia (480-543), and Francis of Assisi (1181-1226).

Basil is considered the founder of Eastern Orthodox monasticism, Benedict the founder of western monasticism . A monastery usually has an abbot, from the Aramaic word "abba," or father, who is the organization's spiritual leader; a prior, who is second in command; and deans, who each supervise ten monks. Following are the major monastic orders, each of which may have dozens of sub-orders: Augustinian: Founded in 1244, this order follows the Rule of Augustine. Martin Luther was an Augustinian, but was a friar, not a monk. Friars have pastoral duties in the outside world; monks are cloistered in a monastery. Augustinians wear black robes, symbolizing death to the world, and include both men and women (nuns). Basilian: Founded in 356, these monks and nuns follow the Rule of Basil the Great. This order is primarily Eastern Orthodox . Nuns work in schools, hospitals, and charitable organizations. Benedictine: Benedict founded the abbey of Monte Cassino in Italy about 540, although technically he did not begin a separate order.

Monasteries following the Benedictine Rule spread to England, much of Europe, then to North and South America. Benedictines also include nuns. The order is involved in education and missionary work . Carmelite: Founded in 1247, the Carmelites include friars, nuns, and lay people. They follow the rule of Albert Avogadro, which includes poverty, chastity, obedience, manual labor, and silence for much of the day. Carmelites practice contemplation and meditation. Famous Carmelites include the mystics John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Therese of Lisieux . Carthusian: An eremitical order founded in 1084, this group consists of 24 houses on three continents, dedicated to contemplation. Except for daily mass and a Sunday meal, much of their time is spent in their room (cell). Visits are limited to family or relatives once or twice a year. Each house is self-supporting, but sales of an herb-based green liqueur called Chartreuse , made in France, help finance the order.

Cistercian: Founded by Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), this order has two branches, Cistercians of the Common Observance and Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappist). In following the rule of Benedict, the Strict Observance houses abstain from meat and take a vow of silence. The 20th century Trappist monks Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating were largely responsible for the rebirth of contemplative prayer among Catholic laity. Dominican: This Catholic "Order of Preachers" founded by Dominic about 1206 follows the rule of Augustine. Consecrated members live in community and take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Women may live cloistered in a monastery as nuns or may be apostolic sisters who work in schools, hospitals and social settings. The order also has lay members. Franciscan: Founded by Francis of Assisi about 1209, Franciscans include three orders: Friars Minor; Poor Clares, or nuns; and a third order of lay people. Friars are further divided into Friars Minor Conventual and Friars Minor Capuchin.

The Conventual branch owns some property (monasteries, churches, schools), while the Capuchins closely follow the rule of Francis. The order includes priests, brothers, and nuns who wear brown robes. Norbertine: Also known as the Premonstratensians, this order was founded by Norbert in the early 12th century in western Europe. It includes Catholic priests, brothers, and sisters. They profess poverty, celibacy and obedience and divide their time between contemplation in their community and work in the outside world. (Sources: augustinians.net , basiliansisters.org, newadvent.org , orcarm.org , chartreux.org , osb.org , domlife.org , newadvent.org , and premontre.org .) Jack Zavada, a career writer and contributor for About.com, is host to a Christian website for singles. Never married, Jack feels that the hard-won lessons he has learned may help other Christian singles make sense of their lives. His articles and ebooks offer great hope and encouragement. To contact him or for more information, visit Jack's Bio Page .

Trappists | Article about Trappists by The Free Dictionary Trappists | Article about Trappists by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Wikipedia . Related to Trappists: Cistercian Trappists, popular name for an order of Roman Catholic monks, officially (since 1892) the Reformed Cistercians Cistercians , monks of a Roman Catholic religious order founded (1098) by St. Robert, abbot of Molesme, in Cîteaux [Cistercium], Côte-d'Or dept., France. They reacted against Cluniac departures from the Rule of St. Benedict. ..... Click the link for more information. or Cistercians of the Stricter Observance. They perpetuate the reform begun at La Trappe, Orne dept., France, by Armand de Rancé Rancé, Armand Jean le Bouthillier de , 1626–1700, French religious reformer, founder of the Trappists. He was of a noble family, was well educated, and lived at court as a worldly priest. ..... Click the link for more information.

(c.1660). The reformer's aim was to restore primitive Cistercian (hence also primitive Benedictine) life; actually the Trappists surpassed both St. Benedict and St. Bernard in austerity. The reform was acclaimed in the world, but many Cistercians resisted it. The whole order was affected, but some abbeys never accepted the reform as such. The life of Trappists is one of strict seclusion from the world. Working hours are devoted to common and private worship, labor (often manual), and study; there is no recreation, meat is eaten only by the sick, and silence is observed except under unusual circumstances, but not by vow. Lay brothers do much of the farming, a peculiarly Cistercian practice. In the 19th and 20th cent. the Trappists shared in the revival of monasticism monasticism , form of religious life, usually conducted in a community under a common rule. Monastic life is bound by ascetical practices expressed typically in the vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience, called the evangelical counsels. ..... Click the link for more information. and expanded greatly.

There are 12 abbeys in the United States. The head of the order, the abbot general of Cîteaux, lives in Rome. Bibliography See T. Merton, The Silent Life (1957); L. J. Lekai, The Rise of the Cistercian Strict Observance in Seventeenth Century France (1968). Becoming a Trappist Monk or Nun TRAPPISTS in the United States One Order, Seventeen Monasteries of Monks and Nuns We are the Cistercians of the Strict Observance, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, also known as "Trappists" or "Trappistines". For more than nine centuries we Cistercians have witnessed to the gospel of Jesus Christ by a cloistered, communal life wholly ordered to contemplation. Within the enclosure of the monastery, forgotten by the world, we joyfully embrace an ascetic discipline which fosters conversion of life to the pattern of Christ's life of prayer, sacrifice, and loving service to our neighbor.

Since the arrival of the first Cistercians in North America in 1848, we have become seventeen monasteries in twelve states, living a distinctive life of hidden fruitfulness at the heart of the church. As with many other religious orders who have their origin in Medieval Christianity, our order is dedicated under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our website intends to answer the needs of men and women discerning a call from God to be a Trappist monk or nun. If what you see and read here awakens in you a desire to follow Christ in the silence and solitude of a Trappist monastery, know that this is God working in your heart in response to our prayers. Please contact us and be assured that we are ready to offer you our love and assistance in your discernment process. Don't miss the new film: "Of Gods and Men" Winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival The Story of our Trappist Brothers in Algeria ©

Question: Trappist monks are a stricter version of which religious order?
Answer: Cistercian